slime mould

British

noun

any of various simple spore-producing organisms typically found as slimy masses on rotting vegetation, where they engulf food particles by amoeboid movements. Formerly regarded as fungi, they are now classified as protoctists of the phyla Myxomycota (true, or cellular slime moulds) or Acrasiomycota (plasmodial slime moulds)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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slime mould

These images, captured by photographer Barry Webb, provide a close-up view of single-celled slime mould organisms.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

The RHS says slime mould has been used in some "incredible practical applications", including urban transport mapping simulations and in the search for dark matter.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

His photo “Life Under Dead Wood” featured fruiting slime mould alongside a tiny, energetic springtail.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2024

A 1mm tall slime mould was the subject of Barry Webb's winning picture.

From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2024

Likewise, the slime mould growing in damp fields and forests all around us can exhibit remarkably coordinated behaviour.

From Open Source Democracy by Rushkoff, Douglas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023